The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for message exchange, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus capable of transmitting/receiving a message between persons carrying devices of the same kind, together with a desired reproduction time of the message, when persons carrying the devices come close to each other or the devices are connected to each other, and detecting partner""s presence when a partner carrying the counterpart device comes within a predetermined distance.
Conventionally, terminal devices of public communication networks such as telephone, pager, and personal computer have been in use to deliver messages to persons who are distant from each other. In addition to inconvenience, time and cost are needed to send and receive messages over public networks. Moreover, in the message transmission over the public networks, the time when a message is delivered to the reception side is totally determined by the caller at the transmission side. Hence, a message may not be delivered to persons at the reception side for several reasons such as the person""s absence.
Answering machine or voice mailing system have been developed and used to store messages which otherwise would not be listened to by the person at the reception side. However, retrieving and listening to the delivered message requires for the person to operate such apparatuses. In other words, it is rare that the person at the reception side gets and listens to the message at the very time that the caller wants the person to listen to the message. Message transmission through such terminals over the public networks is net satisfactory to persons who wish to become in intimate relationship with each other by exchanging private messages s and letting the partner to listen to the messages at a treated time.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus capable of transmitting/receiving a message between persons carrying devices of the same kind, together with its desired reproduction time, when the devices are connected or come close to each other, thereby the exchanged message being reproduced automatically at the desired time.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus which enables to inform the presence of a partner carrying a device of the same kind, which is designated as the counterpart device, when the partner comes within a predetermined distance.
To achieve the objects, the present invention provides an apparatus for exchanging messages between portable devices of the same kind, comprising receiving means for receiving a signal containing a message; input means for entering a desired reserved time to reproduce the message; a memory for storing the message and the reproduction time thereof; connection means for connecting to another device; transmitting means for transmitting the message and its reproduction time stored in the memory.
The apparatus for exchanging message between portable devices of the same kind according to the present invention comprises connecting means for connecting to another device; receiving means for receiving data through the connection means; a memory for storing the received data; a clock unit for counting the present date and time; determining means for determining whether or not the reproduction time of the received data corresponds to the present time; and reproduction means for reproducing the received message according to the determination result.
The method of exchanging message between portable devices of the same kind according to the present invention is characterized in that, in a reception mode, it comprises the steps of examining whether an outer device is the device of the same kind based on a signal received from the device; receiving message and its corresponding reproduction time which are included in the data from the outer device; storing the received message and its reproduction time; checking continuously whether the reproduction time of the message corresponds to the present time; and reproducing the message when they corresponds to each other.
The method of exchanging message between portable devices of the same kind according to the present invention is also characterized in that, in a transmission mode, it comprises the steps of storing a message to be transmitted, together with a desired reproduction time; examining whether an outer device is the device of the same kind based on a signal received from the outer device; and transmitting the message and its reproduction time to the device when it is determined that hey are devices of the same kind.
The method of exchanging message between portable devices of the same kind according to the present invention is further characterized in that it comprises the steps of receiving a signal from an outer device within a signal reception range; confirming whether or not the device is the device of the same kind which is designated as the counterpart device, i.e., the device which is in one-to-one communication correspondence on the basis of the received signal; and generating a sound when the outer device is identified as the counterpart.
In the method and apparatus for exchanging message between portable devices of the same kind according to the present invention, a user inputs a message that he or she wants to send and then enters a desired reproduction time of the message through the input means. The message and its corresponding reproduction time are stored in the memory.
At the state where a message is stored, when the connection means is connected to or gets close to that of another device of the same kind within a signal reception range of the connection means, the transmitting means transmits the message to the reception side device, along with the associated reproduction time.
On the other hand, the reception side device receives the message from the transmission side device and then stores the message in the memory. Then, the determining means keeps checking whether or not the present time which is counted by the clock unit corresponds to the reproduction time of the message.
The message in the memory begins to be reproduced by the reproduction means when the present time becomes equal to the reserved reproduction time, allowing the person carrying the device to listen to the message at an unexpected time.
According to the present invention, it is possible to let persons who carry portable devices of the same kind listen) to a private message at a desired reproduction time which is set by the person at the transmission side, by automatically exchanging the message and the desired reproduction time thereof when the persons come close to each other. The present invention, therefore, may help persons who want to become intimate with each other, develop friendship or love, and increase their pleasure of meeting each other.